Turkey’s EU Minister Hints At Reform Package
8.4.2014 – turkishpress – STRASBOURG — Turkey’s EU minister has hinted at a package of judicial reforms and new measures to reduce the number of cases taken against the country in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
“I am expecting new reform packages to be on Parliament’s agenda soon,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference after talks with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks in Strasbourg on Monday. He said he discussed Turkey’s ongoing reform process with Secretary General Jagland adding: “We [Turkey] are planning to offer new reform packages,” he added. He also praised Jagland for playing an encouraging role in Turkey’s reforms.
Jagland said Turkey had taken “important steps” by paving the way for individual applications to the Constitutional Court, which was introduced in 2012. “I find individual applications to the Constitutional Court very important,” he said. “This is not only crucial for Turkey but also for the European Court of Human Rights.”Turkey’s ECHR statistics have improved from 2012 when the country was second in terms of ECHR violations; Turkey is now in fifth place. http://www.turkishpress.com